Imagine a medical treatment that can decrease heart disease, boost immune function, relieve depression, and block pain--whose only side effect is that it makes you feel good. It's safe, inexpensive, and readily available, No, it's not a miracle drug; rather, these benefits come from the experience of pleasure itself. And this pleasure prescription is filled in the internal pharmacy of the brain.Psychologist Robert Ornstein and physician David Sobel deliver the latest scientific evidence that pleasures--from saunas to siestas, chocolate to charity--and positive attitudes--from happiness to...

This rejacketed volume gives a fresh and intriguing tour of the mysterious territory of human intelligence. Beginning with the simplest view of brain anatomy and operations and using the latest research available, Ornstein and Thompson give the reader both an actual and a metaphorical picture of the human brain. 142 line drawings.

"A detailed, original and persuasive reading of cultural and intellectual history."Los Angeles Times. "A genuine tour de force."San Francisco Chronicle."

The Healing Brain presents an easy to read, amusing, entertaining - yet highly authoritative account of how our brain "minds" our body - actively guarding and defending our health and well-being. Robert Ornstein, a neurologist, and David Sobel, a physician, highlight the themes most important to understand this fascinating science. They explain that, contrary to many of our assumptions about the main purpose of our brain - that it evolved primarily for "higher-thinking" - in fact, the brain works tirelessly to adapt to the changing world around us. This essential reference book helps us...

Meditation and Modern Psychology examines meditation from two perspectives: first, from the perspective of religions and philosophies such as Zen, Yoga and from that of the Sufis and Christian mystics; and then from the modern psychologist's point of view -- what is happening neurophysiologically during and after meditation? By looking at meditation from both points of view, Ornstein produces a modern scientific synthesis - one sympathetic to the practice of meditation - enabling the reader to appreciate and understand meditation as a tool which can lead to a different mode of perception....